Hamas: Palestinian talks can not continue indefinitely

Mahmoud al-Zahar, a Gaza-based member of Hamas politburo, said on Monday that Palestinian talks mediated by Egypt can not continue indefinitely, asking for ending arrests of Hamas members in the West Bank.

In a press conference in the headquarters of Cairo-based Arab League (AL) after talks with AL Secretary General Amr Moussa, Hamas strongman al-Zahar said that arresting Hamas members into prisons of the West Bank is the "main obstacle" to the Palestinian unity talks.

He said that the only way to end the status quo is to hold elections and these elections can not be held without Palestinian reconciliation and an agreement between Fatah and Hamas.

Meanwhile, al-Zahar strongly condemned the death of a member of the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement on Monday in a prison run by security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

Hamas and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian National Authority (PNA) issued conflicting statements over the reason behind the death of Fadi Hamadna, 28.

Brigadier General Adnan al-Dumiri, spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, said Hamadna has committed suicide at his solitary cell in al-Jenid prison in Nablus.

However, Hamas said Hamadna had passed away due to "brutal torture" at the hands of the general intelligence interrogators.

The mutual arrests the two sides exchange have hindered Egypt's efforts to reconcile the two movements under a unified government.

On the other hand, deposed Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haneya expressed on Monday hope that the new leadership of rival Fatah movement would be clinging to Palestinian principles and rights.

After the last round of dialogue between rival Hamas and Fatah movements failed in Cairo in late July, the Egyptians told the two sides that the upcoming round of dialogue will take place in Cairo on August 25.

However, tension between the two groups escalated after Fatah started its sixth general congress in Bethlehem, while Hamas banned Gaza Fatah congress members from attending.

Egypt has been sponsoring reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah since February, trying to reunite the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under one government.